I thought I'd do a  write up on the Cabalist class for anyone else whom can stand the pain and torment of being one of the two (the other being infiltrator) unwanted Guild of Shadows Classes.  I might not be the best person to do this but I'll write it anyway.

As I said before good luck on getting any non guild/friend groups, my luck with groups has been from guild members, Real life friends, or folks that have cabalists in game and offer sympathy groups.  That is a horrible thing, as Cabalists add a lot of versatility in a group.  Our pets as of now, while not as group friendly as an enchanters (they get a healing/buffing pet and we don't.) pack in my opinion, a lot more punch.  Cabalists might not always get the kill first, but most of the time they will get the last laugh, this is done in the form of our formidable line of Damage over Time (DoT) spells.  For the times when you can't get a group, you can make and impressive Self group with the use of pet buffs and debuffs.

Character Creation:

The first thing to do is select race,
Briton: Average Stats
Avalonian: High Intelligence and Quickness, but low Strength and Constitution
Saracen: High Dexterity slightly average Strength, Constitution, and Intelligence
Inconnu: Nice Dexterity and Constitution scores and average Strength, not as Intelligent as an Avalonian but close.

To me I think race really only matters as far as your starting resists and that's about it starting race stats don't mean a whole lot end game.

Starting stats:  As an Inconnu I chose to put 10 points into Dexterity, Constitution, and Intelligence. The three big hitters for casting classes.

Dexterity: Effects casting speed, and your chance of being hit by a weapon.
Constitution: The more of this, the longer you get to kill Invaders. Higher Constitution=More Hits
Intelligence: Albion's main caster stat. This gives you how much power you get in your power pool. Intelligence also effects your Damage spells.  The gain is noticeable.  On average about 4-5 points of Intelligence will gain you 1 more point of  damage on your DoT spells, when that adds up you start to do much more damage by the time the DoT is finished.

A breakdown of the Cabalist spell lines.

• Body this is the line that taken early on gives a great amount of utility and support spells.  Offering as well an Impressive Direct Damage(DD) spell, Debuffs, as well as CC in the form of  Roots.
  
  Base spells:
  
  Vitality Drain/ Essence Consumption: Direct Damage spell with a % of the damage done being turned into Hits for you.  This spell does great work of filling yourself back up on HP, when the group healer is busy working on the tanks.
  
  Dilapidate Body: A instant cast strength debuff.  On a 5 second recast timer.  A useful spell in RvR more so in PvE.  Be warned this spell is a big power drainer.
  
  Cripple/ Leg Twist: The Cabalist form of Crowd Control. This root type can be a real lifesaver.  Just make sure you put some distance from them and you during the spell or before it ends.
  
  Specialization Spells:
  
  Abduct Lifeforce: An upgraded version of the Vitality Drain/ Essence Consumption spells.  The Damage is higher, and the % of damage done to self healing is greater as well.  The highest version is a 90% conversion, to the base max of 60%.
  
  Shift Spirit/ Transplace Spirit: As I like to call it Ghetto heal.  Yes Cabalists do have a use in group as a back up healer.  It may cost us some of our Hit Points to do, but it can save a healer or tanks life in a heated battle once the healer goes OOP.  In some ways, PvE at least I feel that we are a better healer than a cleric.  At most a cleric will have a full power bar, and MCL to go off of heals.  But a cabalist that puts just 3 points into spirit will have an unlimited healing ability.  I'll say how later.
  
  Inflict Excruciation: An instant cast attack speed debuff. This spell is on the same 5 second recast timer as the other debuffs.
  
  Cursed Vigor/ Cursed Essence: You have no idea the pain this spell can cause a Mob or even worse a player.  Disease.  In one word it is bad.  You get three effects in one spell, and at the higher spec, it's an Area of Effect(AoE). First, there is a 7.5% Strength debuff. On top of that a 15% Snare is added, and the cue de gra, healing spells are much less effective until it's cured. A very nice way to start of an RvR or PvE battle.
   
• Spirit our pet and resistance debuff line, not many Cabalists are found with an ending template without at least 3 into this line for the spell reclaim energy.
  
  Base spells:
  
  Simulacrum Summons: Amber, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and Jade. The 5 gem stone pets of the Cabalist.  Each different in use and ability.
  
  Amber: One of the Better RvR pets.  This pet has a self con buff that makes it the highest HP pet we have.  It will proc a stun that has slightly diminishing returns but it does chain.
  
  Ruby: The casting pet. Lower HP than most the pets, still a good choice for RvR use due to it's nice DD spell.  It casts a Heat based DD.  In my opinion the best pet to use for soloing because the ability to "Kite" mobs.
  
  Sapphire: The anti Stealther pet as I like to call it.  In RvR if you can survive the initial blow, this pet should finish of any stealther. The reason, our pets don't need to Hit to proc. This pet procs a very good damage Lifetap. So you do damage to the stealther even though it is evading the pets swings.
  
  Emerald: Mini matter as I call it.  Another of the tank pets, this little guy procs not only a DoT that stacks with our matter DoTs, but also procs a disease.
  
  Jade: Some say the magic ends with this pet.  It has fairly high hits, not nearly as many as Amber but it does have them.  It hits for a nice size amount of damage as well.  The pet has a built in Damage Shield that might not hit for much but it does have it.
  
  Empower Spirit: Strength pet-only buff.  Not many non spirit speced cabalists worry with this spell but it's nice to have around.
  
  Rebuild Simulacrum: Pet-only heal spell.  Honestly only useful for mid-fight healing.  Your better off using Reclaim Energy.  However until you have that spell this is nice to use to ease downtime.
  
  Magnify Dexterity: Dexterity pet-only buff.  Not many non spirit speced cabalists worry with this spell but it's nice to have around, good to cast on ruby, as a slight casting speed increase happens.
  
  Specialization Spells:
  
  Exploit Flaw: Pet-only DPS buff.  This spell adds to the amount of damage your pet does in melee.  Is overwritten by any other classes damage buffs ex. Wizard, Theurgist, Paladin.
  
  Overcharge Aggression: Pet-only attack speed buff.  Increases the speed can attack in melee combat.  Not sure but I think Theurgist buff will overwrite this spell.
  
  Convert Spirit: The Power recycling spell. Some people will say your abusing your pet, others will get mad and say your cheating, Most laugh and say thats cool. With this single spell you have a unlimited source of power.
  
  Constrict Spirit/Shackle Spirit: Single Target/AoE Snare spell.
  
  Banish Immunities: Single Target Body debuff spell.
  
  Banish Will: Single Target Spirit debuff spell.
  
  Banish Conductivity: Single Target Energy debuff spell.
  
  Vivify Golem: Pet-Only Strength & Constitution Buff
  
  Accelerate Golem: Pet-Only Dexterity & Quickness Buff.
   
• Matter deals with the field of atoms and poisons.  This is the line with our AF buffs, Dexterity debuffs, Damage over Time's, and pet focus damage shields.
  
  Base Spells:
  
  Nullify Offense: Self-Only armor factor buff.  This should be up at all times.
  
  Corrosive Cloud/ Dissolving Fog/Disintegrating Smoke: Our Baseline DoT spell.  Thanks to mythic, DoTs are now stackable a big help to all DoT classes everywhere.  Only Baseline DoTs and a Specline DoT will stack. So no Spec single target and AoE DoT's on the same mob, but Baseline and AoE will stack.
  
  Barrier of Warding: Another bread and butter caster spell. The Self Bladeturn.  Have this spell up at all times in the field.  Sometimes it dosen't hurt to Quickcast a second.
  
  Dampening Ward /Nullifying Ward: The Caster Absorb. Buffs.  These make cloth armor seem like there is something between your organs and that Celts spear. Again a must have up spell once you get it. That extra 5-10% is a big change.
  
  Sorcerous Web: Single target Dexterity debuff.  A bit more useful in RvR than PvE. Is on the same 5 second recast timer that all the other Debuffs(attack speed, Strength) are on so chose wisely.
  
  Specialization Spells:
  
  Devolution/Degeneration/Contamination/Deterioration/Decrepify/Delaceration: Our Specline DoT spell.  Thanks to mythic, DoTs are now stackable a big help to all DoT classes everywhere.  Only Baseline DoTs and a Specline DoT will stack. So no Spec single target and AoE DoT's on the same mob, but Baseline and AoE will stack. At the moment we we get a base and spec dot at the same levels except 49, which is the last DoT we get.
  
  Reflective Backlash: A potent spell in PvE and can be in RvR.  This could be the big hitter for Cabalists if the word just got out.  A Focus Damage shield.  More powerful by far than any Wizards damage shield. Imagine if you will as a Player in RvR hitting a cabalists pet with this spell up.  You would be hit back with the force of at least 3 Polearms at level 50 matter.  The drawback is you can't move or be hit while the spell is in effect, or it ends. The spell is also a constant power drain much like a Theurgists PBT, or Paladin's Endurance regeneration.
  
  Lance Spirit: The RP maker.  These are the AoE DoT spells.  With a radius of 350 units it can hit a lot of people.  The best fun is when you use this spell in the Battlegrounds, and when the spell is over the deathspam you get in your chatbar.  Very nice spell but caution must be used when CC is being used.
  
  Persistent Obscuration: In my opinion the best spell for Cabalists. Nearsight is a bane to over 60% of any realms classes that use range to do damage.  And it takes 2 seconds to cast, 2 seconds!  At level 41 the highest level it decreases your range by 65% of what it is normaly.  Whats that mean? Well, get this spell off on a ranger or hunter, and they will be out of the fight with a bow for a good minute or so. Same is true for Eldriches and runemasters.

Tricks O' The Trade:

Number one:  Abuse to your sim is good for you.

Don't forget that once you get 3 points invested into spirit you have an unlimited supply of power as long as you have at least 25% power or a pet with more than ¼ life left.  The spell Reclaim Energy seems like a waste at first, it kills your pet, big deal, I can do that by clicking release. But wait. Look what happens when you have power missing from your bar. It shoots up!  From 25% power you can be ready to go in less than 30seconds and ready to pull once again.

Numer two: Stack, Stack, Run.

We are now one of the best solo classes in the game, in close competition with the necromancer.  Why? Because we have the ability to "Kite". For those of you unfamiliar with this technique its simple. The reason why we can do this is because the Ruby sim. Has been changed into a Casting DD pet. And we have DoTs.  All you do is find a MoB out in a nice open area with plenty of room to run around in. Get at maximum range from the mob, and cast your base and spec DoTs on the mob, if they don't stick don't worry too much. Once you cast your first DoT, have your pet attack the mob. It will begin to cast it's spell. When the monster gets close to you turn and run away from the MoB and sim. At a 90'ish angle. This is to make sure the MoB won't hit your sim and mess him up. Just run the MoB around until it dies or your DoTs run off, and if that happens /face the MoB, reDoT and continue to run. As I said this works because while your running it around and DoTing it, your pet is also DDing the mob too. While the MoB is trying to kill you it's getting killed by your DoTs and pet.

Bitter End.

Once you do get to 50, feel proud that you're one of the Loaners that went 1-50 with little or no grouping. Also in some cases, in record time.  It's not totally the end of the road. There is RvR and PvE still, Epic mobs and dungeons are nice to explore when you don't need to worry about XP loss.  Cabalists are also in my opinion the best PowerLeveling class in the game, since they can AoE pull about 8 yellow and orange mobs and live 75% of the time.   In the end as far as speccing goes, a lot have gone the way of Matter/Body a 46/28/4 Matter/Body/spirit split, That way you get the last AoE DoT and have a better Lifetap.  A few go 46/28/4 only Spirit/Body/Matter for a nice 50%Body Debuff so your Lifetaps can really pack a punch. 

In the end I'll go 50Matter/20Body/4Spirit, Awesome Nearsight, all the DoTs in the World, an excellent pet damage shield, and an AoE Disease to help the DoTs get their job done a bit better.